751: Chapter 751 Discussion among high-ranking military leaders

After finishing communication with these big shots one by one, Li Yang leaned back against the chair and let out a long breath, his long-tensed nerves finally relaxing slightly.

In this entire matter, both witnesses and physical evidence were present, and the sequence of facts was clear; it was not an unsolved mystery.

As long as they followed this clue to investigate, found the source that initially issued the deployment order for this Garrison District fleet, and clarified whose hands the directive came from, the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes would naturally come to light.

...

Inside the core deliberation hall of the Imperial Military Department, the atmosphere was as heavy as a solid block of iron. The cold white ceiling lights reflected the solemn expressions of everyone around the long table.

Several of the highest-level leaders of the Imperial Military Department were all present, sitting around the large conference table. Before each person lay the case file, evidence screenshots, and situation reports submitted by Li Yang. On the light screen, footage of the tampered starship System and the military signal jammer played on a loop, laying out the entire sequence of events clearly before everyone.

The Minister of the Military Affairs Department slammed his palm heavily onto the table, producing a dull, thunderous bang. His eyes were wide, his face was livid, and he exuded overwhelming fury. His voice was loud and filled with bone-chilling rage as he shouted sternly.

"Simply lawless! Audacious! To actually set such a sinister and vicious trap for a Military Region unit out on a regular pioneering mission, disregarding the lives of the Empire's soldiers and treating the Military Department's orders as nothing—this kind of behavior is utterly absurd!"

His angry shout echoed in the empty conference hall, instantly shattering the original silence.

Hearing this, the Minister of the Logistics Department sitting on the other side also darkened his expression and immediately chimed in, his tone full of indignation and annoyance.

"That's right! This kind of black sheep hiding within the Military Department must be thoroughly investigated to the end and handled with the utmost severity! This person even acted under the guise of the Logistics Department's material transport and fleet patrols, deliberately confusing the issue. This is not only a deliberate framing of colleagues but also a public defamation of my Logistics Department's reputation and an undermining of the Military Department's credibility. They must not be shown any leniency!"

As the two core ministers took the lead in expressing their stance, the other high-level military officials were also moved. A low murmur of discussion immediately broke out on the scene, with everyone sternly denouncing the mastermind working in the shadows, their expressions filled with fury and reproach.

Everyone present knew very well that this matter was no longer a simple internal friction, but had completely crossed the Empire's bottom line and the military's red line.

Privately mobilizing the Empire's direct-line troops, tampering with military equipment Systems, and plotting for friendly forces to kill each other, using the lives of countless soldiers as political bargaining chips—this behavior not only violated military discipline and regulations but also directly endangered the Empire's military order. It was an evil act that the entire Military Department and the entire Empire would absolutely have zero tolerance for and would never allow to exist.

Any bit of leniency would shake the very foundation of the Empire's military. Therefore, everyone's attitude was unprecedentedly unified: they must investigate with all their might, drag out the mastermind behind the scenes, and uphold military discipline.

The sounds of indignation in the conference hall gradually subsided. Seeing that everyone was still discussing fervently, the Chief of Staff of the Military Department raised his hand and pressed down slightly, signaling for silence. He spoke with a steady expression and a calm, solemn tone.

"Alright, comrades, calm down."

The Chief of Staff's gaze swept across every high-level official present, his voice clear and powerful.

"From all the evidence and intelligence clues reported by Comrade Li Yang so far, the mastermind behind this malicious framing incident against the Independent Military Region is most likely someone within our Military Department.

But what we have now is only indirect evidence after all. The specific personnel, motives, and complete process will still need to wait for Li Yang and that involved fleet to return to the Military Department to be thoroughly clarified after being verified and questioned one by one."

Long before this meeting was officially convened, the Military Department's central command had already issued emergency mobilization orders regarding this matter.

They ordered the Independent Military Region led by Li Yang to immediately suspend its current Star Domain pioneering mission. After all members returned to the Military Region to stand by, Li Yang was to go to the Military Department to cooperate with the special Investigation Team into this incident.

As for that Garrison District fleet that was manipulated and almost caused a major disaster, they were ordered to return immediately. All personnel on board were to undergo serious interrogation by the Military Department's disciplinary department, and all starship Systems and related evidence were to be sealed throughout the process without any omissions.

After all, the nature of this matter was heinous and could already be considered a major scandal within the Imperial Military Department. If handled improperly or if news leaked, it would bound to seriously shake the Military Department's credibility and even cause turmoil throughout the Empire. It had to be kept confidential and handled steadily throughout, with the truth thoroughly investigated.

The Chief of Staff finished speaking, and the hall fell into a moment of silence. The Minister of the Military Department, sitting at the head of the conference table as the highest-ranking A-level official of the Military Department, finally spoke slowly, his tone heavy and tinged with a bit of helplessness.

"The Chief of Staff is right. Denouncing and venting anger blindly now is meaningless. The priority is to wait for Comrade Li Yang and his party to return to the Military Department. Once all clues and personnel are in place, we will carry out a comprehensive and thorough investigation."

The Minister of the Military Department frowned deeply, his expression solemn.

"Moreover, the Supreme Political Council has already sent successive inquiries, clearly stating that if our Military Department cannot independently investigate and properly handle this matter, they will intervene directly and take the lead in establishing a special Investigation Team to take over the investigation of the entire case."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of all the high-level military officials present turned extremely ugly. Each one showed a look of shame, their expressions awkward and embarrassed.

The Empire's military and political powers and responsibilities are clearly defined. The Military Department is in charge of military defense and disciplinary actions. If they cannot even handle their own internal scandal or internal black sheep and have to hand it over to the Supreme Political Council to overstep and intervene, it would not only be a dereliction of duty for the entire Military Department but also a slap in the face for the entire department. From then on, the Military Department's authority within the Empire's System would vanish, and it would no longer be able to command public respect.

Everyone knew in their hearts that this matter must not reach the point where the State Council intervenes. They had to produce results before then to protect the Military Department's bottom line and face.

"Minister, please reply to the leaders of the Supreme Political Council. Our Military Department's internal affairs naturally have our own rules for handling them. We will certainly investigate thoroughly to the end and resolve it properly. There is no need for them to worry excessively, let alone intervene!"

"Yes! That's right!"

"Military family matters should naturally be resolved by ourselves. We absolutely cannot let the State Council meddle!"

As soon as the words fell, a chorus of agreement immediately rang out in the conference room. Everyone nodded in response, their tones full of determination, unwilling to let the Military Department lose face.

But just as everyone's emotions were running high, the Minister of the Military Law Department sitting on one side of the table suddenly raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet. Then, his expression became exceptionally solemn, and he lowered his voice, asking cautiously.

"By the way, Minister, there's one more thing... has that person given any instructions?"